General rules
- Eat with smaller plates and bowls.
- Aim for two portions of veggies on your plate.
- Eat slowly.
- Turn off the TV.
- Weigh your food.
Daily calorie intake for men 1900kcal/day, for women 1400kcal/day.
Week 1
-Record your weight and waist size in the food and activity chart
- Stick this week’s chart on your fridge and update it at the end of each day
What to eat?
Eating food with lots of fiber will help you feel full for longer, so you’re more likely to stick to your calorie limit.
Breakfast: wholemeal or wholegrain varieties of bread, wholegrain wheat cereals, unsweetened muesli, or porridge oats.
Lunch and dinner: wholemeal or whole-grain varieties of bread, beans, lentils, pulses and peas.
Snacks:Whole fruit,Vegetable sticks,Reduced fat hummus,Homemade air popped plain popcorn.
Choose low fat protein source like: Beans, peas, lentils, fish, lean cuts of meat, skinless, white meat, poultry, low-fat dairy products, eggs, tofu, Low-fat meat substitutes.
Week 2
-Get active – try to get 150 minutes of physical activity every week from now on. If you’ve not done much for a while, aim to increase your activity levels gradually over the next few weeks.
-Start by walking at a slow pace and increase the pace to brisk walking. You can choose any other activity of your choice like cycling, gardening, swimming, dancing.
-Plan when and where you are going to exercise and write it down
-Stick to your daily calorie intake – 1,400kcal for women and 1,900kcal for men.
-If you have a medical condition, please seek medical advice before beginning physical activity.
-But be careful how you refuel. A postexercise snack high in calories could actually see you putting on weight instead of losing it. Instead, choose foods that are lower in calories but still filling, such as fruit, low-fat yogurt or reduced-fat hummus with brown pita.
Week 3
- Remember to stick to your daily calorie intake – 1,400kcal for women and 1,900kcal for men
- Keep aiming to achieve 150 minutes of exercise this week
-Try these non-food rewards to help you celebrate your weight loss progress. Examples include: bubble bath, new music ,new clothes , a trip to the cinema, massage, haircut, new exercise gear.
-Exercise motivation like pat yourself on the back,schedule it,be realistic,phone a friend, music,set goals, reward yourself.
-Boost your breakfast with: Wholegrain wheats, Wholegrain raisin wheats, Wholewheat biscuits, Wholegrain oat biscuits, Muesli (unsweetened), Porridge oats (unsweetened)
Week 4
-You’re four weeks into your journey – keep going! This week we’ll be tackling food cravings and snack temptation.
-Eat breakfast,Bring your own food,Drink water,Plan your snacks,Go for whole-grain,Go lean, go soup.
-Turn your daily routine into an opportunity to get active, feel healthier and burn off some extra calories: Go for a brisk walk at lunchtime, Forget the lift, take the stairs, Leave the car, walk instead.
- Craving swap: Try these healthier alternatives – but remember to still count the calories: SWAP crisps FOR pretzels, SWAP chocolate FOR dates, SWAP fried chips FOR oven chips, SWAP fizzy drinks FOR diet versions or water, SWAP deep pan pizza FOR thin crust, SWAP sweet and sour FOR stir-fry, SWAP sweets FOR raisins.
-Don't go hungry, Drink water,Find a distraction,Choose some gum, brush your teeth, Avoid buying unhealthy food, Have a small portion, set a time limit
- Drink swaps: SWAP a pina colada FOR a mojito and save 326kcal, SWAP double rum & coke FOR single vodka, lime & soda and save 107kcal, SWAP a large glass of white wine FOR a white wine spritzer with soda and save 35kcal.
Stick to your daily recommended units. Men shouldn’t regularly drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol a day. Women should not regularly drink more than 2-3 units a day.
Check the following daily:
-Carefully recording all calories?
-Weighing food when cooking?
-Watching your drinking?
-Reading food and drink labels?
-Exercising 150 minutes a week?
-Getting your 5 A DAY? (400 grams of fresh fruits and vegetables)
-Having breakfast every day?
